


but you fit me better than my favorite sweater

by clelia_satre



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - No Exy (All For The Game), Andrew reads too many books in this one, Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gardener!Neil, Gay Disaster Andrew Minyard, High School, Jock!Neil, M/M, No Mafia, No trauma, OOC, POV Andrew Minyard, but like a lot ooc, lots of gossip and social media because they are teenagers, nerd!Neil, reader!Andrew, sorry I wanted my boys to be happy and gay, they are both oblivious gays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:14:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26603542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clelia_satre/pseuds/clelia_satre
Summary: He looked out the window and nearly had a stroke. Running through the bathroom, he jumped on Aaron’s bed like John Cena on the ring, getting a loud groan as an answer.«Rise and shine, baby» Andrew muttered, shaking his brother. He knew he had been awake till 4 am, chatting with his cheerleader girlfriend, and he knew it because he was watching yaoi anime on his computer.«The fuck you want?» asked his clone. If stares could kill, Andrew would be very very dead now.«Why is HE in our backyard, cutting our lawn?».Aaron knew who he was. Bee knew who he was. God itself did.He was Neil Abram Fucking Josten.-Andrew Minyard is peacefully living the summer before his Senior year when Neil Josten, the most popolar jock of Palmetto High School, is hired by his mom as a part-time gardener. Beetween books read on the front porch and 10 minutes breaks from the lawnmower, a good friendship is born between the two oblivious boys. But this thing between them was never meant to be just a friendship, and with the beginning of the school year many things are changing, growing and evolving.Title inspired by Blue Jeans by Lana Del Rey
Relationships: Aaron Minyard & Andrew Minyard, Allison Reynolds/Renee Walker (All For The Game), Katelyn/Aaron Minyard, Kevin Day & Neil Josten, Kevin Day/Jean Moreau, Kevin Day/Jeremy Knox, Kevin Day/Jeremy Knox/Jean Moreau, Matt Boyd & Neil Josten, Matt Boyd/Danielle "Dan" Wilds, Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 6
Kudos: 176





	but you fit me better than my favorite sweater

Andrew woke up to the unpleasant sound of a lawnmower. He cursed loudly, glancing at the clock on his bedside table. Who the fuck cuts grass at 9 am on Sunday morning?

He got up and quickly showered in the bathroom he divided with Aaron. The twins had two separate bedrooms but a common bathroom who was often cause of brawls in the peaceful house their adoptive mother had created for them at the age of two. Betsy Dobson (also known as Bee) was a single mom, a shrink and most importantly, a pansexual queen. She took two whining and blond assholes under her wing and raised them and their Mexican cousin as her own kids, giving them a house, food, clothes and love. Since Nicky’s departure to German, following his boyfriend and former host-brother Erik, the house had been strangely quiet. Of course, quiet till this moment. 

He looked out the window and nearly had a stroke. Running through the bathroom, he jumped on Aaron’s bed like John Cena on the ring, getting a loud groan as an answer. 

«Rise and shine, baby» Andrew muttered, shaking his brother. He knew he had been awake till 4 am, chatting with his cheerleader girlfriend, and he knew it because he was watching yaoi anime on his computer. 

«The fuck you want?» asked his clone. If stares could kill, Andrew would be very very dead now. 

«Why is HE in our backyard, cutting our lawn?». 

Aaron knew who he was. Bee knew who he was. God itself did. 

He was Neil Abram Fucking Josten. The sexiest, most gorgeous, smartest and most popular Junior member of the Palmetto’s Foxes Lacrosse team of the whole story of Palmetto High School. And Andrew’s helpless crush since he was a sophomore and Neil showed up with his confidence and his stupid British accent. He sported a GPA of 4,8 and rumors said he already had signed in his Sophomore year a contract with Harvard for a sport scholarship (he was going to continue playing lacrosse and study Math, because he was not only a fast as hell jock, but also a hot nerd). 

To sum up, Andrew was in love with him, had been for at least three years and would be till the end of time. God, he listened to Blue Jeans by Lana del Rey and thought about him. He was a gay disaster. 

Looking down at his brother, he saw that he was having a really good time. 

«Don’t laugh at me! You should be supportive! Or have a gay meltdown with me!». 

«Sorry but I’m the only straight in this family. I have to keep my uniqueness». 

«Fuck you!». 

Aaron got up and went to the bathroom, laughing and dodging the pillow his twin threw him. 

«If you are interested, he just took his shirt off» Aaron cried from the bathroom. 

Andrew never ran that fast in his whole life. 

-

Twenty minutes later he was sitting at his window, looking at a very sweaty and half naked British snack starting the lawnmower after a brief break. Andrew waved his copy of Pride and Prejudice in front of his face, feeling a strange hot thing twisting into his belly.

Previously he had tried to regain some sense by hitting himself with his copy of Anna Karenina, but it was all futile. He was still a pathetic virgin Senior who was drooling. And if for one second Neil stopped and turned on his heels, glancing up at Andrew’s window and crossing his stare well... Andrew did not have to explain to Bee the reason of the loud thud coming from his room. And he was never going to tell his brother he fell on the floor, ass first, by just the sight of Neil’s clear blue eyes and cunning smirk. 

-

On Saturday morning, Andrew was on the front porch, sitting on the bench with a cup of coffee (plus lot of milk and some marshmallows), his copy of Les Misérables by Victor Hugo and wearing his pair of reading glasses when a shadow obscured his world. Looking up he was greeted with the sight of the one and only Neil Josten. 

Neil had the sun at his back, transforming his auburn hair in a crown of flames, his blue eyes in clear skies and his smile in the most ethereal vision a human can possibly have. His tanned skin was scattered with freckles, his cheekbones were sharp enough to cut Andrew’s pale skin and this close he could perfectly see a crooked teeth in his perfect mouth with full lips...

Andrew knew he was staring. He just could not stop himself. Luckily, Neil spoke first. 

«I’m a bit early... Is Bee at home?». 

Every Saturday morning Bee attended a pilates class from 9 to 10:30 am. Andrew glanced at his Apple Watch: it was 9:45 am. 

«She is not going to come back for another hour» Andrew heard himself answer in his most detatched voice. Good job. 

«Oh, ehm... I can start mowing the lawn now if you have the key of the junk room». 

They kept their lawnmower in the junk room, but Bee was so jealous of all the trash in there that she was the only one with the key. Fuck. 

«I don’t have the key». 

Was Neil fidgeting with his fingers? Yes, he was. Was that only Andrew’s hallucinations, or was he also... blushing?! Andrew had to keep himself from jumping at the boy and plead him to let him suck his dick. 

«Is it okay if I wait for her here? I came here running but it takes me at least half an hour to get home and, once arrived, I’d have to come back here again so, you know...». 

Andrew was a bit confused. He though Bee has called Neil to cut the grass because he lived nearby, and maybe he needed a job for the summer before the beginning of school. But if he lived on the other side of the small city of Palmetto then... why Neil? Andrew needed to talk to his mother, now. Also because he needed to know when Neil was coming over with at least thirty minutes of advantage, the time to shower, do his hair, change into good clothes and maybe sitting on the bench outside in a relaxed pose, sneaking glances. Damn he was so gay. 

«Okay. There’s some coffee inside». 

«Good. Is Aaron in there?». 

Andrew shook his head. Aaron stayed at Katelyn’s place yesterday night. They had dinner for their four months anniversary and at 2 am Andrew received a text from his twin saying WE DID IT GOD NOW I AM A MAN I DARE YOU TO PUT UP THAT FOURTEEN MINUTES OLDER THAN YOU SHIT EVER AGAIN. Andrew wanted to say that teenagers were stupid, but he was a teenager and he was stupid, so better to keep quiet. 

Neil perched on the railing of the porch, a cup of black coffee between his hands, and for a while they stayed like that: Andrew reading and ignoring the fact that Neil was looking at him the whole time. 

«Do you need something?» Andrew ended up asking, closing his book. 

«No, no, just... Are you liking it?» Neil asked, pointing at the book. 

Andrew decided after a quick analysis to be honest. «Not so much... I preferred Notre-Dame de Paris so far». 

«It is a beautiful church. I went there with my Uncle Stuart and...». 

God. Neil was blushing again. Andre heart could not keep up with all those feelings. 

«Sorry, I interrupted you. Were you saying...?» Neil asked, looking genuinely interested in having a conversation about Victor Hugo with Andrew Minyard of all people. 

They talked a lot after that. About Andrew’s favourite books and Neil’s travels all around Europe. Andrew was surprised at founding out Neil was a very good listener. He let you finish your sentence and explain your point of view, and answered agreeing or disagreeing, making good points. Andrew enjoyed their conversation, even though Neil was not a reader like him. 

«I don’t know... it is like my mind was programmed for fast things. Fast games, quick drills... but also Maths problems, which are dynamic and always different from each others. They make my brain work in a way books never did». 

When Bee came back home, Andrew cornered her at the kitchen as soon as she had given the lawnmower to Neil. 

«Why him?». 

Bee smiled. 

«Why not? I met his uncle at the coffee shop near the gym and he told me Neil wanted to find a job after the end of his summer job as a Lacrosse coach for the kids of the block back in June. Does having him this near make you feel uncomfortable?». 

The thing about having a shrink as mother was that she always asked, alway worried about you, always tried not to step on your boundaries. And that made he, Aaron and Nicky thank God everyday for having had Bee in their life, and not a drug addicted mother or some self-righteous parents. 

«No! No, just... shy?». 

Bee smiled fondly, her hand finding Andrew’s messy short hair. 

«It looked like you were really confident out there. Lots of people have had a crush in their lives... believe me, you are handling yours better then me when I was your age». 

Andrew chuckled a bit, hugging his mother before going to his room. And, when Neil waved at him from the garden while he was reading at his window, he waved back. 

-

«What would you like to do after college?» Neil asked, taking a big sip from his lemonade. It was early Saturday morning, and the house was empty again, and he was reading on the coach The Count of Monte Cristo. It was strange, the fact that his house was always full of life and people and noise, expect when Neil came over for his job, but he didn’t complain. He liked the fact that during his break, Neil always searched for him, whether Andrew was in the garden or inside the house. It became an habit, to have small talk in those 10 minutes of break. 

«I actually don’t know. My only ambition is to read every book I want after I get a degree on Literature». 

Neil hugged his knees against his chest, posing his cheek on one of them and looking at Andrew with his big, expressive eyes. 

«You could become a teacher. I think they must read a lot before starting their job». 

Andrew rolled his eyes. «I hate kids». 

«College teacher then. I can perfectly imagine you, entering the classroom 15 minutes late with a Frappuccino in your hand and big sunglasses». 

They chuckled. 

«Yeah, I can see myself doing it. And you?». 

«Easy» Neil said, without thinking about it. «I am going pro after college. Harvard Crimson are pretty good, I have plenty of possibilities to be spotted by a good team». 

«And if that doesn’t work?» Andrew asked, just to annoy him. 

Neil shrugged. «I’d like to be a code breaker». 

«Nerd» Andrew muttered, sneaking glances at Neil’s lithe body as he got up and resumed mowing.

-

Next week, Neil came on Saturday afternoon. Andrew was studying in the garden, but it was not a meditated move: his twin was in his room with Katelyn, and he wanted to put the biggest distance he could between them and him. The noise coming from the lawnmower was quite soothing as he finished his German essay. Thanks to his eidetic memory, he aced every test in the class, and thanks to Nicky and his boyfriend from Stuttgart, he spoke the language more often than other students. 

Studying was something he liked to do sometimes, especially subjects like English or German literature. He had just started his Senior year, and that meant college. He was looking at some scholarships for Yale or Columbia, and his GPA was good enough to at least try to get one.

He nearly stabbed Neil with his pencil when he corrected his grammar. 

«You spelled wrong the word “objective”». 

He checked against his will. 

«Fuck you» he muttered, adding the missing “g” at the end of “zielsetzung”. 

«You’re welcome». 

«Aren’t you suppose to be cutting some grass right now?». 

Neil smirked and came back to work. Andrew found their exchanges quite strange, mainly because they barely looked at each other at school. Neil was a jock, always surrounded by his teammates. Andrew usually spent his time with Aaron. Sometimes his brother sat at the table with the cheer squad and the Lacrosse team, talking with them like they had been friends forever. It was a bit strange for Andrew to see his brother so open with people he barely knew, but he also knew that Aaron and Katelyn’s relationship was the biggest plot twist of last year (that made Aaron quite popular: the sophomore cheerleader everybody was trying to take to bed and the Science nerd with a doppelgänger going around school? Shocking). Aaron looked confident with the popular guys, and Andrew was happy for him, as much as he was satisfied to just being by himself during those lunch breaks, reading his books in peaceful quiet. Reading had always been his getaway when reality became just too much to bear

-

The next time they saw each others, Andrew was leaving after his meeting with the debate club (he needed extra credits for the scholarship, and also found amusing to annoy someone and winning at the end) and Neil was walking through the hallways with some of his teammates. 

Andrew knew all of them thanks to Aaron (and his stalking sessions on Neil’s Instagram profile). On the redhead’s left was the one and only Kevin Day, the best striker of the past five years and son of coach Wymack. Rumors said he had signed for a scholarship with NYU for next year. On Neil’s right was Matt Boyd, a Junior giant from the outside with his 6,2 feet of height, but a teddy bear on the inside (see: all his Snaps portraying him giving hugs to basically every human being he could put his hands on). Matt was also the Palmetto Foxes Lacrosse Team's captain’s boyfriend. Danielle Wilds was a badass bitch and, Andrew though, also an attractive one if you were straight. 

«Hey Andrew!» Neil greeted him, stopping in his tracks. 

«Gardener» Andrew answered, and patted his shoulder in his mind for the cool tone. 

«Are you heading home?». 

Andrew arched an eyebrow. 

«Yes... why?»

«Can you give me a ride?». 

Andrew rolled his eyes. 

«You are a true parasitic. Parking lot. I give you five minutes, otherwise prepare your running shoes». 

The strangest thing was that while leaving, both Matt and Kevin said their goodbyes at him. Like they actually knew him. What the...

«Here I am. Three minutes and fifty-one seconds. I timed myself. I had to pick up my duffel from...». 

Just like that Neil, sitting in Andrew’s passenger seat, made himself comfortable and started talking about his day and practise and an essay due for tomorrow he had for his Biology class. And then he asked about Andrew’s day, and Andrew decided to answer him just to repay him for his honesty. Only when he parked in front of Neil’s house he noticed that he had actually a really good time. 

«Ehm... my Snapchat is neiljos10, if you want to chat sometimes» he blurted our, before leaving the car. 

Was Andrew imagining the blush on Neil’s cheeks?

-

They chatted a lot in the next months. They sent photos, and memes on Instagram, and sometimes did FaceTime calls. Once they fought about who did better the WAP dance on TikTok, and Andrew laughed so much he felt pain in his abdominals for the entire night. But it was worth it: Neil really knew how to shake that little ass of his. 

Andrew had never had a friendship like this. Yes, he had his twin brother, but it was different: they didn’t trade photos of their bed head or of what they were eating. And the best thing was that Andrew knew that Neil hadn’t had a friendship like this, too. Neil told Andrew that, after his parents’ deaths when he was five years old, his Uncle Stuart took him with him, and he had always been around members of the family, older cousins or relatives, and studied at home till high school years. His father had been a really bad person, he told Andrew one night on call. They used to live in Baltimore, but after the accident Stuart wanted Neil with him, so he changed his name and left America behind. He returned for a whim more than anything, because “high school is cooler and British lacrosse is lame”. Andrew was glad Neil trusted him enough to talk about his past, and he was the first person Andrew told about his brief time in foster care, after his mother gave him and his twin and his cousin away. 

And then, one Friday night, a text. 

from: @/neiljos10  
party at Allison’s  
sending you the location   
*location attached*  
*video attached*

Andrew opened the video, only to be greeted by Matt Boyd’s big, smiling face, screaming:

«Go, Neil, go! Go! Go!». 

The frame shifted and there it was stupid Josten in midair, Seth Gordon and Jean Moreau (Kevin Day’s flirt at the moment) gripping his feet while he drunk from a cask of beer upside down. After nearly a minute, Neil was put down and, when he got up, swaying a little, the room exploded in cheers. 

Andrew smiled a bit, watching Neil’s smiley face being smashed by Matt’s broad hands before the ending of the video. Then he remembered one thing Neil told him some weeks ago: he barely drank. He then though about all the beer he had just gulped down. Neil was going to be crazily drunk by the end of the night. Fuck. 

«Aaron! Wanna go to a party?». 

-

Twenty minutes later the twins were at Allison Reynolds’s villa. Andrew was reminded of the one in the Scarface movie, too many surfaces on marble and a big pool full of drunk high schoolers. Andrew caught sigh of Jean making out with Jeremy Knox in the water near the edge and, forgetting his shyness, tapped on his shoulder to get his attention. 

Jean’s grey eyes were red due to the weed (he could smell it in the air). 

«Have you seen Neil?» Andrew asked. 

Jean though about it for a moment, probably too stoned for having any type of conversation. Luckily Jeremy (who was also the president of the debate club Andrew attended to) was sober than his... hook-up? Nevermind, Andrew was not interested. 

«He was inside, living room. The one with the kegs of beer. Don’t go to the other, at least if you don’t want to see Thea Muldani and Marissa... what’s her surname? However, the cheer girl, filming some Tiktoks». 

Too many information, but...

«Thanks Jeremy. Ehm, have fun the two of you» he said, turning and heading to his brother. 

Aaron was texting Katelyn, clutching the pocket of his jeans jacket with his free hand. 

«Please don’t tell me you brought an entire pack of condoms. Do you really want to have sex where other people already had?». 

Aaron scoffed, sliding his phone in his pocket. 

«Let’s think about finding your crush first. Don’t worry about me: Katelyn stole the key for one of the guest rooms and locked it so it is completely safe. And, if you need one, I keep the condoms in my wallet». 

Aaron winked and headed inside, while all Andrew could think was Yes, we really are twins. We are a too similar kind of assholes, sometimes it is annoying. 

They immediately found Neil, and Aaron left to go with Katelyn, leaving Andrew alone with the biggest part of the Male Lacrosse team. Neil had a finished can of beer in his hand, which was quickly stolen by Matt, who was sticking some all together with scotch tape to make a stick taller than himself. The both of them were sitting on a coach, Kevin perched on the arm clutching a bottle of vodka. On the other couch Seth was rolling a blunt, two of the sophomore players looking at him with expectant eyes. The only freshman of the team was passed out on the armchair. 

When Neil spotted Andrew, he smiled brightly and extended his arms as if he wanted to hug him. 

«Andrew! Come here!». 

The request became a whine and an adorable pout. With two wide strides, he was in front of Neil. Kneeling down in front of his friend, he checked on him. His cheeks were flushed and bright red, but his eyes seemed clear. 

«Only beer. I kept my eyes on him for you, my friend» Kevin said, pointing his finger with the hand gripping the bottle at Andrew and then taking a huge swing directly from it. Andrew couldn’t really blame him: he would get wasted too if he found out his current boyfriend was making out with Mister Sunshine in front of the entire school. 

«For me?» Andrew asked, confused. 

«Of course» Kevin said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. The asshole even rolled his eyes. «You are his friend, and you care about him as much as we do. Maybe even more, as Neil often ignores our messages when he is facetiming you!». He said the last part louder, as if expecting Neil to hear it and feel guilty. Andrew blushed violently. 

«By the way duuuude. If sometimes you want to sit with us at lunch, that’s cool. Neil talks about you tooooooo much. You seem cool. Your brother is» Matt said, extending the vocals in a funny way. He looked honest. 

«I’d like that, yes» Andrew answered, surprised. 

«Andrew! I need to puke» Neil whined, his big, blue eyes finding Andrew’s. His lower lip was curved in a pout and Andrew knew that this was how his gay spirit was going to melt one for all. 

Shit, he was too cute. 

«I’m taking you outside» Andrew muttered, helping Neil to get up and heading outside. 

They sat on the grass near the pool, far enough not to be disturbed by the laughs and screams of those who were diving in the cool water. Andrew pushed a bottle of water he had stolen from the fridge while exiting in Neil’s hands, kneeling in front of him and waiting for... yeah, the puke to come. He didn’t like parties or being drunk, but he had often found himself helping Aaron when he was too wasted to come back home. 

Neil was looking at him, his expression now dark and less joyful. 

«Do you want to know a secret?» he asked, voice low. 

Andrew couldn’t control a shiver running down his spine. «What?»

«I don’t need to puke. I wanted to be left alone with you without morons around». 

And he leaned on, slowly as if giving Andrew time to pull away. But Andrew knew what he wanted. 

It was the best make-out session of his life. He had kissed other boys, but no one had been as passionate, as hot and as good as Neil. He understood how wars could be fought just for this, how his favourite writers spent pages describing this emotion. The attraction he had been hiding since the beginning of his friendship with Neil was now breaking free in an explosion of warm flames inside of him. His brain was blacked out, the only though I am kissing Neil Josten and he is kissing me back. 

Neil was caressing his cheeks with his cold fingers, making him shiver once more. Andrew deepened the kiss, feeling his arousal when Neil moaned into his mouth, pushing Neil gently on the ground. 

This was everything and nothing, two bodies flushed one against the other on the grass, fingers between locks of red hair and on narrow hips, hands on the back of his neck, his broad shoulders and his muscular arms (Andrew thanked God for all the workout he did at home, seeing how much Neil liked his biceps right now). Kisses on jaws and necks, a hickey and many whimpers. 

Leaving Neil’s lips, even just for taking a breath, felt like a torture. Kissing him was a double-edged sword: it took you to Heaven, only for letting you feel stuck in Hell once you stopped. Andrew needed, needed, needed... 

«Neil, you are drunk». 

And as fast as it became, it finished. Andrew got up, looking at Neil’s form on the lawn, arms open as if waiting for him to dive again and eyes shimmering in the dark. 

How could he have been such a fool? Neil gave him his consent, yes, he wanted it and didn’t stopped him. He did everything right but... Neil was too wasted maybe to even understand what they had just done. And what if he didn’t want it? Was he going to wake up tomorrow and hate Andrew? He couldn’t think about that. 

«Neil, get up. I’m taking you home». 

He send a quick text to Aaron. 

to: uterus-mate  
I’m going back home  
Need a ride?

from: uterus-mate  
Nope. Staying here for the night with Kat

to: uterus-mate  
I’m too young to be an uncle   
Please don’t knock her up Bee is going to kill you  
No, wait, forget what I said   
Do it :)

Andrew threw his phone on the backseat once in the car. Neil was silent, looking out the window the whole time.

«I know I am drunk» he whispered once they arrived. 

Andrew only nodded. He didn’t want to have this conversation. He and Aaron were saved from the foster care only by sheer luck and Bee’s big heart. But he knew what foster care consisted on, and he knew the risks. Assault, sexual abuse, violence... He promised to himself and to Bee when they had the talk that he was always going to ask for consent. 

But right now, he took something he wanted very much from Neil. But wasn’t sure if Neil wanted to give it to him. 

«But I wanted it so much... Had been wanting it for so much time I just... Kevin told me it was time I shoot my shot. Matt told me he is bolder when he drinks and I though that maybe, wasted or stoned, I was going to finally grow a spine and...». 

Andrew leaned on and opened the door at Neil’s side. 

«We are going to have this discussion once you are sober» he only stated, gripping the driving wheel till his knuckles became white. 

Neil nodded, sliding out of the car and into his two-stories house. Once he disappeared from the view, Andrew punched the dashboard so hard he had to drive with one hand for the rest of the road. Once at home, he ate a pack of Chips Ahoy while re-reading Madame Bovary and, as if Emma’s disappointment and sadness transferred from the book to his soul, he fell asleep fighting against tears. 

-

He woke up to the smell of chocolate chips pancakes. In the kitchen he found out that him and Bee were going to have breakfast together, as Aaron was still at Allison’s house. 

Andrew sat down at the table feeling shittier than ever and, as always, he couldn’t hide his mood from his mother. He sighed, reading himself for a talk. Bee waited patiently for him to find the right words, uncapping the bottle of orange juice and serving herself a glass of it. 

«Yesterday Neil and I kissed». 

Bee smiled at him, but just mildly. She knew there was something more under it. Andrew sighed. 

«But he was drunk and I don’t know if I just ruined a friendship». 

«Honey...» Bee sighed, getting up and hugging him. Andrew rested his head on her shoulders.

Before she could say anything else, Andrew’s phone got off. He looked at it, opening reluctantly Neil’s text. 

from: annoying jock  
can we talk? 

to: annoying jock  
ok

from annoying jock   
pick me up in 10?

to: annoying jock  
fine

Andrew kissed Bee on her cheek. 

«I’m talking to Neil». 

Bee smiled fondly. 

«When you feel like talking, I’m here. Always». 

-

Neil was a wreck, deep purple bags under his eyes and pale skin, wearing his uncle’s dark blue Oxford University hoodie too big for his lean form. His hair was a mess of unruly curls and Andrew wanted so much to tangle his fingers in them. 

Andrew started the car, heading nowhere but knowing that Neil decided to talk in the car because he felt comfortable in there. The blond waited, giving him his time. 

«Yesterday night. You kissed me back» Neil started. 

Andrew felt a strange tug inside, like his heart pleading him to not open his mouth, to not ruin this thing which was perfect as long as it existed. 

«Yes, I did». 

«Did you want it? Or felt obliged because I was... You know, pathetic». 

What? Andrew nearly missed the next turn, too shocked to answer. He, at the end, was able to form three words. 

«What the fuck?». 

Neil was now fidgeting with his fingers and the hem of the hoodie. Andrew had come to understand that it was the only sign of anxiety someone would ever get from Neil. 

«I understand if you don’t want to see me ever again after this, but I can’t lie anymore, not to you. We can’t just be friends, because it is always going to be something more for me. Fuck, it was something more even before I gave you my Snapchat». 

Andrew couldn’t find the ability to speak. He just drove till he reached an empty parking lot behind a supermarket in the suburbs of Palmetto. Then he didn’t have any choice but to look at Neil. 

«It has never been just a friendship for me either» he whispered, too scared to break something if he spoke too loud. He swallowed many times before talking again. «And I’m sorry for yesterday, I shouldn’t have done it. You were drunk and...». 

«Andrew». It was probably the first time Neil interrupted him, leaning forward and putting his hand on his knee. «If this is what is upsetting you, quit the thinking. I wanted it. And I want it now too». 

Andrew couldn’t ignore the glance Neil threw to his lips. And, if he had to be honest, he was looking at Neil’s lips too. 

They met halfway, kissing slowly and sweetly and softly. Andrew was going crazy, losing himself in Neil’s lips. But this was a sentiment which had been bottled for too much time to be just chaste. 

Tongues were touching and exploring, moans and grunts escaping. Andrew picked Neil from his waist and guided him till he was straddling him. Andrew’s hands were on Neil’s slim but strong back, under his hoodie, exploring the toned and warm body. Neil was panting in his mouth, twisting on his lap till he found the right position and... Fuck. Andrew bit Neil’s lips, capturing a whimper as the redhead rubbed their arousals against each other through their pants. 

«Backseat?» Neil asked, his voice needy and low and so damn sexy. 

Andrew kissed the hickey he had given him last nigh, humming against the purple bruise and smiling. 

Then Neil’s phone went off. 

«Bloody hell» Neil muttered and, if Andrew hadn’t been so upset right now, he would have been turned on by the strong British accent that seeped into his voice. Neil took the phone from his back pocket and answered, still panting a little. «Uncle Stuart? Yes. Yeah. No, they are under the sink. Exactly. I will be home soon, don’t do anything okay? Bye». 

Neil muttered a curse and threw the phone into the backseat, visibly annoyed. 

«All alright?» Andrew asked, tracing light circles on Neil’s hips under the baggy hoodie. 

Neil nodded, his hands delicate on Andrew’s chest. «The man is nearly fifty and the CEO of a multinational with the value of hundreds of billions of dollars but doesn’t know how to properly do the basic cleaning». 

«If your uncle is this rich shouldn’t he have like... a maid?». 

Neil laughed. «We had plenty, back in London. And he has one in his flat in New York, for when he goes there for meetings. But when I asked to come back to America, I wanted to be a normal kid, not the British posh and spoiled one. I wanted a simple place with normal people and a modest house. Just being Neil Josten, the athlete, you know?». 

Andrew nodded, and couldn’t help but let a fond smile curve his kiss-swollen lips. «Do you want me to take you home?». 

Neil shook his head, brushing his nose and forehead against Andrew’s. «Just want to stay a bit with you like this. Is it okay?». 

Andrew hugged him, tugging him even closer and posing a light kiss on his cheek. «Of course idiot» he mumbled softly. 

-

When Neil came back to mow the lawn on Sunday afternoon Bee was not home, and Aaron neither. After months of friendship and Neil coming to their house once a week to attend to the grass, Andrew was so used to having him around that he left a bit of space on the bench on the porch, waiting for Neil to take a break. They made out a little, and though Andrew hated the smell of the grass, he loved how the sweat made Neil’s muscles sleek at the touch and golden under the sun. Andrew had just finished reading Lolita when Neil showed up again, the work for the day concluded. 

An hour later they were in Andrew’s room, jerking each other off after Neil took a quick shower. Andrew loved that Neil was so responsive of his touch, of his kisses, of his caresses. Neil whimpered and called his name without feeling ashamed, and hearing his voice murmuring dirty things to his hear made Andrew going crazy. When Neil whispered that Andrew was “the best boyfriend because he made him come so good”, Andrew felt like dying. 

The next day, they entered Palmetto High School as an official couple. Rumors spread as fast as always in the little high school, and when Andrew walked the hallways, his hand in Neil’s one, he saw people staring at him. How fun, he thought, the two mysterious, quiet and antisocial twins, both in a relationship with two of the most popolar people in this shithole. Andrew sat at the same table as the jocks, talking about fashion with Allison and sport cars with Matt, exchanging numbers with Renee Walker (Allison’s girlfriend and by far his favourite Neil’s teammate), glancing at Kevin, Jean and Jeremy holding hands and exchanging kisses, at his brother laughing with some cheerleaders and just... felt good without the help of a book to keep him company. 

-

On February, Aaron got accepted into Princeton University. They had a big dinner at home, with Bee and Katelyn and Neil, who had been Andrew’s boyfriend for nearly three months by now. Katelyn was going to stay over, while uncle Stuart came to pick Neil up. The British man arrived when Neil was still under the shower after Andrew gifted him with a blowjob deserving a chef kiss. Andrew was going downstairs when he stopped in his tracks, hearing voices in the kitchen. 

«Have you already planned a date?» Bee was asking. 

«Yes, the flight is scheduled by the end of the month. I need to go back to London the sooner I can. Being the CEO of the company and working with the base here in the USA has been too tiring, requiring too many trips to New York. Being in my mother country will make things easier, and Neil can perfectly finish high school there. I already talked with some friends about the best private schools in London». 

«I am really sorry about your departure, now that I got to know Neil a bit better and meet you. You seem like a very responsible person». 

«Thank you. I want to be honest, before Neil I was not this serious about work or life in general. That kiddo changed me, but now I must act as a parent and do what is better for the both of us. He will have a better education and more college possibilities in the UK». 

Andrew stopped listening. He felt his heart shattering behind his chest: was Neil really leaving in less than a month? Why didn’t he tell Andrew? But most importantly, what did Neil want? To continue this thing between them, or just shutting it down? 

He ran upstairs, waving Neil goodbye and kissing him lightly on his lips. He just hoped it was not going to be one of their last ones. 

-

It started a week after. 

Andrew making up excuses with Neil to avoid having lunch with him. He liked his teammates and despised the idea of having lunch by himself again, his only companion a book, but he needed to put some distance between him and his boyfriend. Neil was a wild spirit, and nobody must cage him, and Andrew knew he must let him go. He still texted with Renee sometimes, and met Jeremy from the debate club. 

Jeremy was becoming Andrew’s excuse for not going out on dates with Neil. He needed to study, he texted him. He attended some extra meeting with the debate club for extra credits, he added. He was sure he was spending more time with Mister Sunshine than his two boyfriends. 

He started to leave Neil on read, without answering his texts, that became drier and drier with the passing of days. Andrew couldn’t let himself look at Neil’s cute photos before going to sleep or those mirror selfies after practise, when Neil’s toned body was sleek and shining with sweat, his smile curved in a grin because he knew what he was able to do to Andrew’s mind. Andrew missed waking up with his “good morning” text, felt a little pang in his heart when he saw a meme and thought about sending it to Neil, only to be reminded that he was actually avoiding him. 

It was a quite productive period for Andrew. He filled many scholarships modules, read lots of books on his reading list which he had ignored since starting going out with Neil, but something was missing. 

Not something, he reminded himself. But someone. 

-

He had reached the last episode of Yuri!!! on Ice when he heard someone knocking at the front door. Someone really angry, and really strong, as it seemed like the whole house was being shaken by an earthquake. 

Andrew put his reading glass on the collection of poems by Percy Shelley on his bedside table, heading downstairs while yawning loudly. It was 10 pm on a Friday night: hadn’t people something better to do than to annoy him? He knew it wasn’t nor Aaron nor Bee, as they were out together and had two pair of keys.

«I’m coming!» he shouted, and the knocking finally stopped (thank God). 

When he opened the door, he felt his mouth dropping open. 

«You fucking ghosted me» Neil whispered. 

He was perched on the railing, wearing an hideous hoodie from the Lacrosse team and black sweatpants. He looked winded, like he had run from his house to Andrew’s place at that unholy hour of the night. His eyes were glassy, shining lightning in the darkness of the porch. 

Andrew felt a lump in his throat. Words didn’t come as easy as the first time they spoke. Now they were mischievous, little bitches, hurting him to escape. 

«Why, Andrew? I thought what we had...» Neil didn’t finish the sentence. He was not crying, but from his voice it was easy to understand how broken he was. And it was all Andrew’s fault. 

«You are going back to London» Andrew answered. Now that the words were out, he felt void and cold, like the warmth inside of him expired from his body. Maybe that was what it felt like to not having Neil by his side anymore. It was a feeling he must get used to from now. 

«How...» 

«I heard your uncle and Bee talking, the night of Aaron’s dinner. He is going back for his business. Are you really going to tell me he is going to leave you here, alone and underage? That you are going to fight against him?». 

Neil sighed, gripping the railing like his life depended on it. He couldn’t meet Andrew’s eyes. 

«Uncle Stuart is going back, yes. He is living on Monday».

Andrew heart sunk. Monday... less than three days. So these really were his last moments with Neil. 

«But». Neil’s eyes met Andrew’s hazel glare. «I got offered a spot as captain of the lacrosse team next year, since Dan is gratuating. And I have the possibility to study in one of the Ivy League colleges. I have met Dan and Matt, Allison and Renee, Kevin and Jeremy and Jean... they are my friends, and I would miss them all. Even that shitface of Seth. And, yeah, I have you». Neil blushed slightly. «Did you really think I was going to give up on us this easily?». 

Andrew sighed, the tension in his shoulders vanishing quickly. He still felt rattled, like this was all a dream and he would wake up soon, and was waiting for the moment his alarm was going to go off. 

«Andrew, I have never had this. I dated some girls in London but... they never made me feel the way I feel with you. And this feeling is good, so much good, because it makes the both of us happy and is healthy and genuine. And I am going to fight for this, as I am going to fight for my future and my friends. I am going to stay, no matter what Stuart wants. This is what’s best for me». 

Andrew acted impulsively. He interwove the fingers of his hands with Neil’s, tugging him close and pushing his forehead against Neil’s. He liked this position, even though he had to stand on his tiptoe. 

«Why didn’t you talk to me about that?» Neil asked, and his eyes were still sad, even though Andrew felt relief at the moment. And a lot of guilty. He shrugged. 

«I don’t know... I was impulsive. It’s just that I really like this thing between us and I, don’t know, thought that if I had distanced myself from you in time it would have been easier for you to leave. And breaking my heart by myself would have made easier to heal once you were the one to break it, leaving». 

Neil caressed his cheek, light fingertips on his skin, a shiver going through all his body. 

«You are such a drama queen, you should stop re-reading sisters Bronte’s books» Neil chuckled. 

«Over my dead body».

Their kiss was slow but passionate, the warm coming back in Andrew’s body in the form of an hug. Neil’s cheeks were red and his eyes sparkling. Their lips were melting together like honey and milk, sweetly. Andrew felt like living in a cloud, detatched from everything that wasn’t Neil’s body. 

«Do you want to come upstairs? Bee and Aaron are not coming back for a while from Aaron’s Science Fair». 

Neil nodded and Andrew led him upstairs, closing the door of his room. Neil liked his bedroom, with his dark green walls and shelves full of books and the Queen sized bed. He sometimes perched on the desk made of wood and watched Andrew studying on his bed, the sun making his form the one of an ethereal angel. Andrew loved the hours spent together during the weekend after he mowed the lawn, and nobody was home, and it was just the two of them becoming one. 

Neil hugged him tightly, his head in the crook of Andrew’s neck, breathing his scent deeply. The bed was big enough for them to stretch comfortably, but they preferred to curl one against the other, Andrew’s arms around Neil’s waist, Neil’s fingers between Andrew’s hair. 

«I’m going to stay at Wymack’s place for the next year. Can you imagine, Kevin and I being brothers?» Neil chuckled. 

«You are not going to have free house for a very long time, am I right?». 

«I preferred when Stuart just left me alone for the weekend. At least I had you. Now I already made a deal with Kevin for the rest of the school year: if his dad and his girlfriend, Abby, are not home, I must find something to do because Jeremy and Jean are coming over». 

«And what are you getting from this deal?». 

Neil smiled his mischievous smirk. «Kevin is doing my History and French essays for all my Senior year, even from college». 

Andrew laughed, tugging Neil’s face closer to his. From this close, his boyfriend’s freckles were like constellation on his skin. He traced them with his fingertips, getting lost in the warmth of Neil’s body. 

Andrew’s first time that night was also Neil’s. It was awkward and funny, they laughed a lot and kissed a lot, too. They fought against the sheets till they decided to just yank them off and Andrew nearly feel from the bed (twice). But in the end, it was imperfect, just like them, and it was their shared moment. And as Andrew thrusted into Neil, and as Neil moaned Andrew’s name over and over like a chant till he unraveled, Andrew’s only thought was: I can have some more moments like this with him. And it was more than enough. 

After, they showered together, and enjoyed a second round under the water (a bit lazier then the first, but still mind-blowing). They curled then in bed, Andrew with a pair of sweatpants and Neil wearing one of Andrew’s hoodies because Neil’s one was “a crime against his sight”. 

And if, when they came back, Aaron and Bee found them sleeping like that on a sheetless bed, they just quietly closed the door, hiding their small smiles. 

-

At the beginning of May, a letter arrived to the Dobson/Minyard house. 

«Open it!» Neil, Aaron and Bee chanted, all looking at him from the coach. He sighed, getting comfortable on the other one, and slowly opened the letter. 

«I got in» he whispered, looking at the letter without really understanding the letters in front of him except the first, glorious word: Congratulations. 

«You are going to Yale!» Bee screamed, one tear escaping from her eyes. 

What came after was just noise and hugs, everything moving too fast. He passed the test, had enough credits and brain to enter in one of the best universities of the country. A university near Aaron’s (two hours and a half by car), and near Harvard (little more than one hour by car), where Neil was going to enroll next year after his graduation. He was going to study Literature, maybe English one. He was getting a degree and maybe he will become a college teacher in the future. He though about the kids struggling everyday in foster care, though about the fact that he could have been one of them now, abused and broken or maybe even dead, and felt so very glad for everything his life had provided him instead. 

That night they had a small party in the house, the three of them hosting their friends and also Katelyn parents. Katelyn was going to Princeton too next year, and Andrew had heard her and Aaron talking about sharing a flat just off campus. Bee was okay with that, seeing how their relationship was solid and healthy after more than a year together. Lots of their friends were going to leave too, like Kevin and Jean and Jeremy (they were going to three different colleges all around the country, but decided to continue their relationship the same). Andrew spent most of the night with Renee, who was going to leave for Houston soon. He had to admit it: he grew very attached and fond of these crazy people, and was going to miss them very much. Friends were more dynamic than book characters, honestly. 

Bee let Neil stay over for the night and, once everybody had gone home except the twins and their partners, they all started to clean up. Neil was drying the plates he was washing in the sink by his side, the two exchanging kisses every once and then. 

When Bee and Aaron entered the room, Neil stopped and looked at them. The three spoke with their eyes and eyebrows for some very long moments before Neil sighed. 

«Okay, it’s time to tell him» he murmured. 

Andrew felt the blood drain from his body. «Tell me what?». 

«Dude, calm down» Aaron said, chuckling. 

«You once asked me why I asked Neil to cut the grass for us when he lived so far from our house». Bee started slowly, like talking to a ferocious beast. 

Andrew nodded. «I have an eidetic memory, I remember everything. Unfortunately» he glanced at Aaron. He still had nightmare thinking about the time he entered his brother’s room to ask him for a pencil and found him watching porn. And not classy porn, but gross ones. 

Aaron flushed. «It was one time!» he screamed, his voice becoming an high pitch. Andrew flipped him off. 

«Well, the truth is that I never spoke to Stuart about giving Neil a summer job. I acted on my own will, offering it to him when Aaron told me Katelyn had tod him Neil needed it». 

Andrew didn’t understand. Aaron sighed, cursing about “being the smart twin even without the eidetic memory”. 

«Bee and I set you and your jock boyfriend up! No offence Neil». 

«None taken» his boyfriend shrugged. 

«And why would you do that?» Andrew asked, felling anger bubbling up inside of him and his cheeks becoming a bright shade of red. 

«Because I told Katelyn I had a crush on you, and she told it to Aaron, who told it to Bee» Neil said, fidgeting with his fingers. 

«You... what?». 

«Yeah, we know. You are two oblivious gay disaster. Go make out already and shut the door please» Aaron said, heading upstairs to his girlfriend and followed by Bee, who smiled fondly at his sons before leaving. 

Andrew was shocked. Neil had liked him... all this time? Even before becoming friends? Even before the first time he came cutting the grass?

«Only one question» Andrew whispered, taking both Neil’s hands and leading him upstairs. «Why me?». 

Once in their bedroom, they got undressed of everything expect their briefs and curled in bed, before Neil answered. 

«I don’t know. You were like an enigma, or a Maths problem I couldn’t quite solve. Always by yourself, reading alone, very smart but also labelled as the mysterious Minyard twin. I don’t know, something... it was like a string, tugging me towards you». 

They kissed for a very long time before Neil put a hand on Andrew’s chest, smirking at him. 

«Ands also, I liked your booty. You completely aced the WAP dance. I must have seen that video a hundred times by now». 

Andrew chuckled, hugging his idiot closer and kissing him senseless.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic so pleeeeease be gentle with me! Also, English is not my first language, so if there are any mistakes feel free to write them in the comments: I will try and see if I can change them!  
> I really respect the concept of consent, so even if Andrew has not experienced any sexual assault in this universe, I wanted to make his characters twill attached to this topic. I hope I did a good job with Nora's characters...   
> This fanfic was born because I watched the Call Me Maybe 's video by Carly Rae Jensen and... you know... that video really sums up the first part of this fic.  
> Comments and Kudos are well accepcted!   
> Thank you for reading and stay turned for new fanfics! <3


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